4 exercise plyo circuit

Lately I’ve really been into plyometrics (or plyo for short). If you have ever heard of HIIT exercising, it’s somewhat similar to that concept. Basically you primarily use your body instead of equipment or machinery. Your heart rate rises pretty quickly like it would for cardio, but it still helps train muscles too. There are a few reasons as to why I’ve really been feeling plyo lately.

It can be a quick, effective workout especially when you are short on time. During the week I come home exhausted from my day at work. Thinking about going to the gym right after work basically gives me hives because it is so crowded. I can’t comfortably workout with people all around me. Therefore, on most weekday nights I try to go around 7 or 8. I definitely don’t like the idea of coming home later and then having to get ready for bed and the next day. So, plyo workouts  are my go to on those nights (Wednesdays and/or Thursdays). I can easily do a plyo circuit within 30 minutes. This keeps my heart rate up, helps with stamina, and I’m able to quickly work on strength, agility, and balance. Normally a 30 minute workout wouldn’t do much for me, but when it’s plyo I’m sweating after set one!

There’s a lot of variety for plyo exercises. You could get really specific by targeting a body area like just legs or core. I prefer to do a mixture of exercises because I have a set day for cardio, back, legs, and arms. I also go to a yoga/pilates class on Tuesday nights which has a bit of plyo and a combination of exercises as well. Decide what your body needs. Get creative. I love switching up my exercises and challenging myself!

Pick 4-5 different plyo exercises and do 4 complete sets. Normal workouts usually consist of doing one workout for a few sets in a row. In a plyo circuit though, you are doing one exercise after another until you complete all 4 or 5. That concludes one set. Take a 1-2 minute break, but try not to wait too long. You could even use the in between time to stretch. Then you start the circuit again for another set.

For today’s circuit, I am going to focus on plyo exercises that involve an aerobics stepper and/or a crossfit box.

Box Jumps
Put the stepper in front of you. Start to bend your knees and jump onto the stepper. Then jump down to a mini squat. Then you jump back up and so on. Sometimes it helps to hold your arms as though you are skiing.

Elevated Lunges
Put one foot on the stepper and step the other foot out in front of you to lunge forward. Squat by pointing your knee down to the ground and then straight back up. Do the same thing on the opposite leg. To make this more challenging, you can step out further from the stepper or hold weights in your hands.

Side Shuffles
Stand with your right side facing the stepper, so your eye glaze is parallel to the stepper. Put your right foot on top of the stepper, jump up the left foot, and then tap down the right foot on the opposite side. This is a fluid motion and it involves some squatting/side lunges. I find it easier to clasp my hands together kind of like a prayer pose. You keep going back and forth on opposite legs without pausing.

Elevated Mountain Climber Twists
Put your hands on the floor and your feet on the stepper so that you are in a decline plank position. Keeping your back flat and your neck neutral with your spine, bring your right knee toward your left shoulder and twist your body. Then alternate your left knee toward your right shoulder. Remember to maintain proper plank poster to get the full effect of the exercise. Tighten up your core as this well give you a better workout.

Sometimes I top off my plyo circuit with a mini ab circuit. I’ll choose 3-4 ab exercises and do either 3 or 4 sets. Check out my ab circuit post for some ab/core ideas.

So even if you think you don’t have enough to go to the gym for 1-2 hours, you can still have an effective, quick workout that will make you sweaty.

What’s your favorite plyo exercise? Share in the comments below.